Medal of Honor: Stories of Courage

Richard Pittman was legally blind in his right eye—a condition that should have kept him away from the front lines of the Vietnam War. But Pittman wasn't a man who took "no" for an answer. After sneaking his way into the U.S. Marines, he found himself on a trail in the jungle, single-handedly trying to save his brothers in arms. From a "medical disqualification" to a legendary stand with a machine gun, Richard Pittman’s story proves that true courage starts with the belief that you belong in the fight. Binge the full season of Medal of Honor, ad-free, with a Pushkin+ subscription. Sign up and save on the Medal of Honor show page on Apple Podcasts or at pushkin.fm/plus. Use the code MOH25 for 25% off an annual subscription.  Connect with the team!  Follow Pushkin on social @pushkinpods  Follow JR Martinez @iamjrmartinez  Follow Meredith Rollins @meredithkrollins Email the team: medalofhonor@pushkin.fm  Episode resources: US Marines in Vietnam: An Expanding War, 1966 by Jack Shulimson (Department of the Navy, 1982)  Operation Hastings websiteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you saw a suicide bomber moving toward your friends, would you have the courage to run toward him? That is the choice Florent “Flo” Groberg made on a dusty road in Afghanistan. In just eight seconds, he identified the threat, tackled the bomber, and saved countless lives. And yet, Flo says he still wishes he had run faster. Binge the full season of Medal of Honor, ad-free, with a Pushkin+ subscription. Sign up and save on the Medal of Honor show page on Apple Podcasts or at pushkin.fm/plus. Use the code MOH25 for 25% off an annual subscription.  Connect with the team!  Follow Pushkin on social @pushkinpods  Follow JR Martinez @iamjrmartinez  Follow Meredith Rollins @meredithkrollins Email the team: medalofhonor@pushkin.fm  Episode resource:  8 Seconds of Courage: A Soldier's Story from Immigrant to the Medal of Honor by Flo Groberg and Tom Sileo (Simon & Schuster, 2017)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As a proud member of the Cherokee Nation, Dwight Birdwell was determined to fight for the country he loved. And his actions on the first day of the Tet Offensive in Vietnam are stuff of legend. But Dwight’s story is also about survival: not just what it takes to live through a terrible battle, but how that survival changes you– forever. We’re committed to making Medal of Honor even better, and you can help! Leave your feedback for the show by filling out our listener survey at http://bit.ly/mohsurvey Episode bibliography: Birdwell, Dwight W., and Keith William Nolan. A Hundred Miles of Bad Road: An Armored Cavalryman in Vietnam. Presidio Press, June 1, 1997. https://www.amazon.com/Hundred-Miles-Bad-Road-Cavalryman/dp/0891416285See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Medal of Honor is back with Season Two! Join new host J.R. Martinez, a U.S. Army veteran whose life was profoundly changed by a roadside bomb in Iraq in 2003. J.R., introduced by Malcolm Gladwell, shares his journey of finding purpose through storytelling and previews the compelling stories of heroism in this season. Season Two explores a range of historical conflicts, from the Civil War, where we encounter the first Black sailor to receive the Medal of Honor, to the Boxer Rebellion and the remarkable Marine Daniel Daly, a recipient of two Medals of Honor. We also want to hear from you! Send us your personal story of courage, or highlight someone else’s bravery. Email us at medalofhonor@pushkin.fm. You might hear your stories on future episodes of Medal of Honor, or see them on our social channels @pushkinpods. Get early, ad-free access to episodes of Medal of Honor by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows. Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkinSubscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.com/plusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malcolm chats with Meredith Rollins, the writer behind the series, to talk about what they both learned from the Medal of Honor recipients featured this season. They also share moments that didn’t make the cut, what surprised them, what made them cry– and the surprising influence of Medal of Honor moms. If you have questions or comments you would like Meredith to answer, you can email her at meredith.rollins@pushkin.fm or send us a message on any of our social media accounts @pushkinpods. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.